By Bonnie Adams, Managing Editor
Westborough – Three WWII veterans were honored March 9 by the nonprofit Quilts of Valor (QOV) Foundation in a moving ceremony held at The Highlands Gracious Retirement Living complex. The event was sponsored by the Westborough Veterans Advisory Board.
Jack Crane and Chase Libby both served in the U.S. Army while John Giou served in the U.S. Navy. A fourth veteran, Don Foss, who also served in the Army, was due to be honored as well but unfortunately had taken ill and had to be hospitalized prior to the ceremony.
Theresa Perreault, the Mass. Regional Coordinator for QOV, told those in attendance, which included a number of The Highlands residents, a little bit about the foundation’s mission. QOV was started in 2003 by a Delaware woman, Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed in Iraq. She had a dream about him that he was being pursued by demons, but was then comforted as he was wrapped in a beautiful quilt. That dream led her to start the organization which first presented quilts to service members and veterans who had been wounded physically or psychologically. The organization has since revised its mission to “cover service members and veterans touched by war with comforting and healing Quilts of Valor.”
“We cannot judge what being ‘touched by war’ means to a veteran. It is different for each, depending on where or when they serve,” Perrault said.
“As we award these Quilts of Valor let us do so not with judgment but with trust – trust that these veterans have been ‘touched by war,’” she added. “Those who wear or have worn the uniform are, without question, the most profoundly affected.”
Each quilt is made by a volunteer following the standards set by the foundation. Most are red, white and blue, although some may also have a touch of gold, Perreault said. To date, nearly 250,000 quilts have been donated nationwide.
As she presented a quilt to each of the three veterans, Perrault also presented them with a certificate thanking them for their service.
The foundation hopes to donate a quilt to every Westborough veteran, she added, in future ceremonies.
For more information on QOV, visit www.qovf.org.
Advisory Board
